Streamer posts video of MSI RTX 4090 smoking in PC
A video shared on X by streamer Jessick shows a graphics card emitting smoke from inside a running PC. The clip also shows a brief puff of smoke near the power area before the recording ends.
Based on the cooler shroud and layout, the card appears to be an MSI GeForce RTX 4090 Gaming Trio model. The cabling visible in the clip does not look like a native PSU 16-pin lead. A white cable, probably an adapter, is attached instead.
wtf do i do pic.twitter.com/Ls1ZVcYZKM
— jessick (@jessickyeah) January 30, 2026
MSI’s GeForce RTX 4090 Gaming Trio series uses a single 16-pin power connector and is rated for 450 W board power, with an 850 W PSU listed as the recommendation. It’s the older implementation before NVIDIA revised teh design to 12V-2×6.
RTX 4090 GAMING TRIO, Source: MSI
The 16-pin 12VHPWR connector family has a track record of overheating and melting reports, with attention often focused on incomplete insertion and cable strain near the plug. NVIDIA said in 2022 that it was looking into reports of burning or melting connectors, and later testing by outlets showed loose connections can generate extreme heat quickly.
It’s hard to believe that we have to say this but if smoke appears, the priority should be cutting power right away, not record the video. The safest move is to shut the system down immediately, switch off the PSU, and unplug the PC, then ventilate the area and avoid breathing the smoke. After that, the GPU, adapter, and PSU cables should be inspected before any attempt to power the system again, and an RMA or service request should be considered. Now if only MSI accepts 3 year old GPU for repairs…
Source: Jessick
